Protesters demand Ukraine president’s resignation
The thousands demonstrating in the centre of Kiev are showing no signs of going away after the supreme court agreed last month’s presidential elections were illegal.
The situation is leading to fears of a political crisis in advance of a new presidential election run-off on December 26.
A shortage of money in the banks following a run on money, especially on international currency, is also causing concern. Banks have limited the amount of money people can withdraw and many ATMs around the city are not operating.
The international community is standing back at the moment in an effort to lower tensions, especially between EU members and Russia. A second round-table discussion between the EU, Poland, Lithuania, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Russia expected over the weekend was called off.
So far Mr Kuchma has ignored demands for his resignation, staying in his dacha outside the city.
The protesters are also determined to push through election law changes designed to ensure a fair vote in the new presidential runoff, even after pro-government lawmakers blocked the amendments.
Parliament has adjourned until December 14 without passing opposition-backed legislation that would amend the election laws and reshuffle the Central Election Commission, which reformist Viktor Yushchenko’s supporters accused of covering up official fraud.
“This parliamentary break will cause the situation to further deteriorate and also increase resistance,” pro-Yushchenko MP Yuriy Kluichkovsky said, adding that opposition lawmakers were negotiating to bring parliament back earlier.
Communists, socialists and pro-government factions in parliament refused to back electoral changes, saying pro-Yushchenko lawmakers backed out of a deal to pass constitutional reforms to transfer some of the president’s powers to parliament.
Mr Yushchenko accused his government foes of trying to trim presidential powers. He also said Mr Kuchma, who anointed Viktor Yanukovich as his preferred successor, was blocking changes in the electoral laws.
The protestors have laid siege to his dacha and to the presidential palace in the city. At night they increase their activity with hundreds of cars flying the now familiar orange flags and with horns blaring driving around the city.
In this well-organised civil revolution, a swarm of them concentrate on the president’s home, trying to ensure he does not have a quiet night.
Demands that he go are coming from the opposition party led by the man championed by the demonstrators, Mr Yushchenko, and several speakers addressing the crowds over the weekend called for his resignation to a wildly approving crowd.
Mr Kuchma, who has the support of Moscow, has yet to sign off on last week’s vote of no confidence against the government led by Mr Yanukovich. Mr Yanukovich declared himself the winner of the presidential election and is Mr Kuchma’s nominee.
But diplomats from foreign embassies who have been working overtime for the last fortnight say the government is effectively dead, leaving a vacuum. The opposition leader has told the embassies not to deal with the government, and they appeared to be taking his advice.
This has led to questions of who is running the country and to fears of a political crisis. Initial fears of military intervention, either from Mr Kuchma or from Russia, have subsided.
Many of the country’s institutions appear to be firmly on the side of Mr Yushchenko.
